Writing a Research Paper - Tips

[amirsan]

What are you tips to those beginners out there who want to learn how to write a historical essay or research paper? Include tips on analyzing the information, researching and sources. Maybe we can make one guide which will encourage more articles to be written.

Lets start!

 

[Nobody]

do you have a essay question or is it pick your own topic? i guess your second year of highschool (from your birthday) so it wont be hard. (history wasnt even a option for us then) if you got given a question use the words in your answer (if the question is "what were the main causes of the russo-japenese war" then answer "the main causes of the russo-japanese war were). If you get to choose a topic look at your libeary and see what topics you like from their. No point chooseing the childrens crusade and then looking for it. Make sure you pick somthing you are intrested in other wise it will get boring. Don't rely on wiki and the net Use books. Write paragraphs SEX Statment Explnation and eXample. a different idea per paragraph and link them together, with a good introduction and conslusion. your my little brothers age and he could never write anything worth reading but if you play civ you must be good.

 

[YNCS]

Do not complicate your syntax and sentence structure. If you make something difficult to read, then people will not read it. Also, if you cannot find a word in Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary (for Brits, the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary), then either define the word or, preferably, use a different word.

 

[amirsan]

well nobody... I dont have any assignment now, however I am interested in doing some independant research and submitting my paper to any publications like the Concord Review, National History Day or even in my school. Therefore I am not interested in learning how to do a research paper for simply high school, but learn how to do it for high school, university and beyond.

But as said, lets generalize the thread, so whatever tips is posted here can apply to anyone.

 

[Kafka2]

Make sure you cram in at least one disgusting, horrifying, or plain bizarre fact every 2000 words or so.

 

[superisis]

Take several sources, get a general picture (what you think happened), and write it in your own words... tis what we all do (and then there are those who actually experience things).

 

[superisis]

and referr to your sources, the more sources and the more you referr, the better. The better sources the better too... if the sources seems a tad klonky, the critizise it your self.

 

[covok48]

If you have a fact that sounds a little off the wall or involves numbers, back it up with a source. The more sources, the more credible your paper sounds.